Acting

In the acting program students gain strong training for work in a wide array of venues.
Voice, movement and acting training cover many styles including period and contemporary
realism, Shakespeare, Restoration and 19th century. Work in classes prepare actors
for both stage and film work. Acting students work closely with The Repertory Theatre
of St. Louis, providing them with a great introduction to American regional theatre.

Year OneThe first year of Conservatory is about discovery. Classes in acting, voice and speech,
movement, stagecraft, text analysis, and make-up are all designed to help discover
what it means to be an actor and establish the basis for a personal technique. Methods
include centering and aligning, vocal production and phonetics, games, exercises,
improvisation, and scene study. First-year students do not perform publicly but do
present scene work for the Conservatory at the end of the year.

Year TwoThe second year of Conservatory is about exploration. Through highly contrasting styles
of dramatic literature the basic technique established during the first year is stretched
and strengthened. Classes in yoga, neutral mask, and physical characterization are
added to the core of acting and voice and speech. Second-year students join the casting
pool and are now eligible to perform in the Conservatory season.

Year ThreeThe third year of Conservatory is about application. The work in contrasting styles
becomes even more ambitious. Skills acquired in the previous two years are applied
to Shakespeare, Restoration' and Edwardian drama. Voice and movement classes develop
even more specific skills in dialects, period movement, and stage combat. A directing
class is added to the basic core.

Year FourThe fourth year of Conservatory is about refinement and looking toward the future.
Interview, audition, and cold reading skills are developed. Acting for the camera,
commedia dell'arte, and clown are investigated. Toward the end of the year, fourth-year
students present themselves in a showcase in New York and Los Angeles for agents,
producers, and casting directors.

Acting Academic Programs

To read about specific program requirements, learning outcomes and how to apply, click
on a program from the following list: